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Sustainability in Supply Chain Management

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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (20 December 2016) | Viewed by 200088

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Special Issue Editor

Prof. Ilkyeong Moon

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Guest Editor

Department of Industrial Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 08826, Korea
Interests: Supply Chain Management, Inventory System, Logistics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Growing societal and governmental pressure has challenged businesses to focus on the environmental and efficient conservation of resources during all operations of the supply chain. Business leaders today are very interested in continuously running their supply chains through a sustainable supply chain management. The challenges in being sustainable in supply chain management include building, redesigning and reconfiguring the effective and efficient supply chain with the capabilities of robustness, resilience, flexibility, agility, and responsiveness.

They should consider cost, tax laws, skills, material availability, new market entry, and other organizational operations and resources. More attention is needed to optimize the supply chain processes, from product design, raw material selection, and production, to delivering, customer service, and end-of-life product management. Supply chain optimization also enables business leaders to make their operations more flexible, responsive, and efficient, based on an organization’s operations, resources, and other capabilities.

From this point of view, authors are invited to submit their works regarding innovative methodologies and models for improving and maintaining sustainability in supply chain management. Research related to the keyword below is welcomed.

Prof. Ilkyeong Moon
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

Sustainable supply chain management with applications
Robust and Resilient supply chain design and operation
Flexibility in supply chain management
Agility and responsiveness in supply chain management
Sustainable supplier selection
Sustainable production and inventory management
Sustainable distribution management
Sustainable logistics networks design
Optimization of sustainable supply chain networks
Analytical models for sustainable supply chain
Green and close-loop logistics and supply chain management
Big data management and IoT for sustainable supply chain
Risk management for sustainable supply chain
Sustainable humanitarian supply chain management

Published Papers (28 papers)

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2453 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Lagrangian Relaxation-Based Solution Method for a Green Vehicle Routing Problem to Minimize Greenhouse Gas Emissions

by Yanjie Zhou and Gyu M. Lee

Sustainability 2017, 9(5), 776; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9050776 - 08 May 2017

Cited by 24 | Viewed by 6498

The effects of greenhouse gas (GHG) on the weather has caused ever-increasing disasters around the world. Many countries are making significant efforts to reduce GHG emissions in all industrial sectors. In this study, a green vehicle routing problem (GVRP) has been formulated as [...] Read more.

The effects of greenhouse gas (GHG) on the weather has caused ever-increasing disasters around the world. Many countries are making significant efforts to reduce GHG emissions in all industrial sectors. In this study, a green vehicle routing problem (GVRP) has been formulated as a nonlinear integer programming problem to minimize GHG emissions, considering various realistic factors that include three-dimensional customer locations, gravity, vehicle speed, vehicle operating time, vehicle capacity, rolling resistance, air density, road grade and inertia. Lagrangian relaxation has been introduced to propose a simple solution method. In contrast to traditional vehicle routing problems, the vehicle speed, vehicle weight, and road grade between two customer locations are also determined along with vehicle routes. The computational results demonstrate the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed solution method. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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1253 KiB

Open AccessArticle

An Integrated Location-Allocation Model for Temporary Disaster Debris Management under an Uncertain Environment

by Muhammad Salman Habib and Biswajit Sarkar

Sustainability 2017, 9(5), 716; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9050716 - 29 Apr 2017

Cited by 59 | Viewed by 6257

Natural disasters always generate an overwhelming amount of debris. Reusing and recycling waste from disasters are essential for sustainable debris management. Before recycling the debris, it is necessary to sort this mixed waste. To perform the sorting process efficiently, a Temporary Disaster Debris [...] Read more.

Natural disasters always generate an overwhelming amount of debris. Reusing and recycling waste from disasters are essential for sustainable debris management. Before recycling the debris, it is necessary to sort this mixed waste. To perform the sorting process efficiently, a Temporary Disaster Debris Management Site (TDDMS) is required, and the selection of TDDMS is a multi-criteria decision-making problem due to its numerous regional and municipal constraints. This paper provides a two-phase framework for sustainable debris management during the response phase of disasters. In the first phase, a methodology for TDDMS selection is proposed that consists of Analytical Network Process (ANP) and a fuzzy Technique for Order Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS). In the second phase, a debris allocation optimization model is developed to allocate the debris from disaster-affected regions to the selected TDDMS. A city prone to hurricane damage is selected to illustrate the proposed framework. For the debris allocation purpose, five TDDMS are chosen, among which three sites are selected using the proposed methodology. To illustrate the utilization of the proposed study, a numerical example with two different scenarios is provided. Numerical outcomes prove that the model results in a sustainable debris management system for disasters. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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1582 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimization and Analysis of a Manufacturing–Remanufacturing–Transport–Warehousing System within a Closed-Loop Supply Chain

by Sadok Turki, Stanislav Didukh, Christophe Sauvey and Nidhal Rezg

Sustainability 2017, 9(4), 561; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9040561 - 07 Apr 2017

Cited by 55 | Viewed by 7504

This paper deals with the optimization of a manufacturing–remanufacturing–transport–warehousing closed-loop supply chain, which is composed of two machines for manufacturing and remanufacturing, manufacturing stock, purchasing warehouse, transport vehicle and recovery inventory. The proposed system takes into account the return of used end-of-life products [...] Read more.

This paper deals with the optimization of a manufacturing–remanufacturing–transport–warehousing closed-loop supply chain, which is composed of two machines for manufacturing and remanufacturing, manufacturing stock, purchasing warehouse, transport vehicle and recovery inventory. The proposed system takes into account the return of used end-of-life products from the market. Manufactured and re-manufactured products are stored in the manufacturing stock. The used end-of-life products are stored in the recovery inventory for remanufacturing. The vehicle transports products from the manufacturing stock to the purchasing warehouse. The objective of this work is to simultaneously evaluate the optimal capacities of manufacturing stock, purchasing warehouse and the vehicle, as well as the optimal value of returned used end-of-life products. Those four decision variables minimize the total cost function. A discrete flow model, which is supposed to be the most realistic, is used to describe the system. An optimization program, based on a genetic algorithm, is developed to find the decision variables. Numerical results are presented to study the influence of transportation time, unit remanufacturing cost and configuration of the manufacturing/remanufacturing machines on the decision variables. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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1164 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable EOQ under Lead-Time Uncertainty and Multi-Modal Transport

by Soon-Kyo Lee, Seung Ho Yoo and Taesu Cheong

Sustainability 2017, 9(3), 476; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9030476 - 22 Mar 2017

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 5738

In this paper, we examine a sustainable economic order quantity (S-EOQ) problem with a stochastic lead-time and multi-modal transportation options. With the S-EOQ, decisions of order quantities, as well as a reorder point could be influenced by various factors, including unit price, stock-out [...] Read more.

In this paper, we examine a sustainable economic order quantity (S-EOQ) problem with a stochastic lead-time and multi-modal transportation options. With the S-EOQ, decisions of order quantities, as well as a reorder point could be influenced by various factors, including unit price, stock-out cost, lead-time variability and emission costs. For a better understanding, we present a mathematical model of the concomitant S-EOQ problem and, using numerical experiments, explore various scenarios to determine the effects of incorporating sustainability considerations into the traditional inventory model on operational decisions including the choice of transportation modal combination and the sourcing decisions Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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468 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Corporate Social Responsibility Motive Attribution by Service Employees in the Parcel Logistics Industry as a Moderator between CSR Perception and Organizational Effectiveness

by Su-Yol Lee and Yong Won Seo

Sustainability 2017, 9(3), 355; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9030355 - 28 Feb 2017

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 7449

With sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) emerging as urgent issues in the logistics service industry, the effects of CSR on employee work behavior is receiving increasing attention. This study explores this issue by considering intrinsic and extrinsic CSR motive attributions as moderating [...] Read more.

With sustainability and corporate social responsibility (CSR) emerging as urgent issues in the logistics service industry, the effects of CSR on employee work behavior is receiving increasing attention. This study explores this issue by considering intrinsic and extrinsic CSR motive attributions as moderating variables between CSR perception and organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behavior. The results of a cross-sectional survey and hierarchical regression analyses of 241 survey responses from parcel delivery logistics employees indicate that their perception of CSR strongly enhances their organizational commitment and organizational citizenship behavior. This study also presents evidence that the positive effect of CSR on organizational commitment is weakened when employees attribute CSR practices to intrinsic motives. This study provides guidance for managers in the logistics sector and for academics who wish to address sustainability and CSR issues and to enhance employees’ organizational commitment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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2625 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Emergency Vehicle Routing Problem with Uncertain Demand under Sustainability Environments

by Jin Qin, Yong Ye, Bi-rong Cheng, Xiaobo Zhao and Linling Ni

Sustainability 2017, 9(2), 288; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9020288 - 21 Feb 2017

Cited by 31 | Viewed by 7760

The reasonable utilization of limited resources is critical to realize the sustainable developments. In the initial 72-h crucial rescue period after the disaster, emergency supplies have always been insufficient and the demands in the affected area have always been uncertain. In order to [...] Read more.

The reasonable utilization of limited resources is critical to realize the sustainable developments. In the initial 72-h crucial rescue period after the disaster, emergency supplies have always been insufficient and the demands in the affected area have always been uncertain. In order to improve timeliness, utilization and sustainability of emergency service, the allocation of the emergency supplies and the emergency vehicle routes should be determined simultaneously. Assuming the uncertain demands follow normal distribution, an optimization model for the emergency vehicle routing, by considering the insufficient supplies and the uncertain demands, is developed. The objective function is applied to minimize the total costs, including the penalty costs induced by more or less supplies than the actual demands at all demand points, as well as the constraints of the time windows and vehicle load capacity taken into account. In more details, a solution method for the model, based on the genetic algorithm, is proposed, which solves the problem in two stages. A numerical example is presented to demonstrate the efficiency and validity of the proposed model and algorithm. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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1634 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Probabilistic Graphical Framework for Estimating Collaboration Levels in Cloud Manufacturing

by Gilseung Ahn, You-Jin Park and Sun Hur

Sustainability 2017, 9(2), 277; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9020277 - 16 Feb 2017

Cited by 13 | Viewed by 5877

Cloud manufacturing (CM) is an emerging manufacturing model based on collaboration among manufacturing enterprises in a cloud computing environment. Naturally, collaboration is one of main factors that impacts performance in a variety of ways such as quality, lead time, and cost. Therefore, collaboration [...] Read more.

Cloud manufacturing (CM) is an emerging manufacturing model based on collaboration among manufacturing enterprises in a cloud computing environment. Naturally, collaboration is one of main factors that impacts performance in a variety of ways such as quality, lead time, and cost. Therefore, collaboration levels should be considered when solving operational issues in CM. However, there has been no attempt to estimate these levels between enterprises participating in CM. The collaboration level among enterprises in CM is defined as the ability to produce a manufacturing service that satisfies a customer by means of collaborative production amongst enterprises. We measure it as the conditional probability that collaborative performances are high given collaborative performance factors (e.g., resource sharing, information sharing, etc.). In this paper, we propose a framework for estimating collaboration levels. We adopt a probabilistic graphical model (PGM) to develop the framework, since the framework includes a lot of random variables and complex dependencies among them. The framework yields conditional probabilities that two enterprises will reduce the total cost, improve resource utilization or quality through collaboration between them given each enterprise’s features, collaboration possibility, and collaboration activities. The collaboration levels the proposed framework yields will help to handle diverse operational problems in CM. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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2130 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Linkage Model of Supply Chain Operation and Financial Performance for Economic Sustainability of Firm

by Suk Ho Jin, Suk Jae Jeong and Kyung Sup Kim

Sustainability 2017, 9(1), 139; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9010139 - 19 Jan 2017

Cited by 28 | Viewed by 9490

Although several studies have explored the relationship between the operation and performance of a supply chain (SC), a general SC model cannot deliver the expected financial results at a company-wide level. In this paper, we argue that this cannot guarantee the maximization of [...] Read more.

Although several studies have explored the relationship between the operation and performance of a supply chain (SC), a general SC model cannot deliver the expected financial results at a company-wide level. In this paper, we argue that this cannot guarantee the maximization of a firm’s overall value because short-term financial performance metrics do not reflect the risk to businesses and the invested capital. Owing to the varying natures of risk and the capital invested, firms with multiple divisions should assess each division separately, and the results can be compared for decisions concerning the allocation of the firm’s capital and resources to maximize the overall value of its businesses. We propose a linkage model to consider operational activities and financial performance simultaneously in a firm’s supply chain model. To exhibit the superiority of the proposed model that connects SC operation and financial indicators, we first compare the differences between models for maximizing profit and enterprise-wise economic value added (EVA) as objective functions. To examine uncertainty in the operational and financial parameters of the SC, the results of sensitivity analyses are then reported. Experimental results showed that our model, using the EVA approach, is more effective and superior in terms of maximizing the firm’s overall value from the long-term perspective while satisfying the target values for financial ratios set by the firm’s executives and shareholders for all periods, unlike the results of the general model. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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974 KiB

Open AccessArticle

How Do Power Type and Partnership Quality Affect Supply Chain Management Performance?

by Kwang O. Park, Hwalsik Chang and Dae Hyun Jung

Sustainability 2017, 9(1), 127; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9010127 - 17 Jan 2017

Cited by 14 | Viewed by 6802

A supply chain management (SCM) system is a strategic cooperative that organically integrates all supply chains to improve the performance of a company. The greatest critical success factor of SCM is partnership. Without cooperation between companies, SCM performance is limited. Does this imply, [...] Read more.

A supply chain management (SCM) system is a strategic cooperative that organically integrates all supply chains to improve the performance of a company. The greatest critical success factor of SCM is partnership. Without cooperation between companies, SCM performance is limited. Does this imply, therefore, that companies within the supply chain can achieve mutual transactions equally? If the power between companies is unequal, how does this affect their partnership? The focus of this study is to assess whether power types enhance SCM performance through partnerships. We categorize power types as mediated and non-mediated. Mediated power is categorized based on coercion, reward, and legitimate, while non-mediated power is categorized based on information, expert, and reference. Therefore, this study examines how power types form a causal partnership relationship within the supply chain, and performs an empirical investigation on how the partnerships influence SCM performance. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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1197 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Multinational Firm’s Production Decisions under Overlapping Free Trade Agreements: Rule of Origin Requirements and Environmental Regulation

by Sung Hee Lee, Kun Soo Park and Yong Won Seo

Sustainability 2017, 9(1), 42; https://doi.org/10.3390/su9010042 - 30 Dec 2016

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 7204

In this paper, we study the impact of the rule of origin (ROO) requirements accompanied by free trade agreements (FTAs), which specify the minimum portion of supplies that should satisfy the origin requirement, on a multinational firm’s production decisions. We consider a multinational [...] Read more.

In this paper, we study the impact of the rule of origin (ROO) requirements accompanied by free trade agreements (FTAs), which specify the minimum portion of supplies that should satisfy the origin requirement, on a multinational firm’s production decisions. We consider a multinational firm who exports its product to multiple countries and analyze its production decision in the presence of multiple free trading agreements (FTAs). The ROO requirements in FTAs not only refer to the origin of supplies but are also involved with an environmental regulation of a country of the supplies. As such, meeting multiple ROO requirements can be costly since it may be involved with an adjustment of production facility and suppliers according to different environmental standards. We investigate a multinational firm’s choice of the ROO level in its production decision under multiple FTAs. It is well known that, in the presence of overlapping FTAs, the firm may strategically choose not to comply with the minimum ROO requirements in the FTAs. Instead, the firm may choose to comply with an ROO level that is higher than required, or pay the tariff instead without enjoying tariff exemption by the FTA in the new country. Such unintended outcomes in the FTAs are called the Spaghetti Bowl Effect. We characterize and quantify two types of such Spaghetti Bowl Effects with the optimal production decisions of a multinational firm under multiple ROO requirements and derive policy implications. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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2021 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analysis of Supply Chain under Different Subsidy Policies of the Government

by Dongxue Guo, Yi He, Yuanyuan Wu and Qingyun Xu

Sustainability 2016, 8(12), 1290; https://doi.org/10.3390/su8121290 - 09 Dec 2016

Cited by 58 | Viewed by 6174

The increasing public attention on green products prompted firms and government to focus on the design and manufacturing of these products. This study focuses on a supply chain system that consists of three members, namely, supplier, manufacturer, and government, and then investigates the [...] Read more.

The increasing public attention on green products prompted firms and government to focus on the design and manufacturing of these products. This study focuses on a supply chain system that consists of three members, namely, supplier, manufacturer, and government, and then investigates the effects of government subsidies on social welfare and the profits of supply chain members. We utilize game and optimization theories to calculate and compare the optimal decisions and profits of players in the following scenarios: (i) the government provides a subsidy rate to the cost of manufacturer’s greenness efforts (first subsidy policy); and (ii) the government grants a per unit subsidy to the manufacturer for the demand for green product (second subsidy policy). We also derive the necessary condition for the most effective subsidy policy that maximizes expected social welfare and profits. Our analysis derives the following findings: (i) under the first subsidy policy, the government tends to provide high subsidy rate to a manufacturer with low marginal profit; (ii) under the second subsidy policy, the government tends to offer low subsidy to a manufacturer with low marginal profit; and (iii) a government’s selection of subsidy policy depends on the sensitivity of consumers to price. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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2078 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Analyzing Environmental Continuous Improvement for Sustainable Supply Chain Management: Focusing on Its Performance and Information Disclosure

by Koichi Murata

Sustainability 2016, 8(12), 1256; https://doi.org/10.3390/su8121256 - 02 Dec 2016

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 5103

This study analyzes the relationship between the implementation and information disclosure of environmental continuous improvement (e-CI) in sustainable supply chain management. The analyzed data relates to e-CI delivered from 19 manufacturing industry types in Japan. A degenerated Charnes-Cooper-Rhodes model, a proposed model for [...] Read more.

This study analyzes the relationship between the implementation and information disclosure of environmental continuous improvement (e-CI) in sustainable supply chain management. The analyzed data relates to e-CI delivered from 19 manufacturing industry types in Japan. A degenerated Charnes-Cooper-Rhodes model, a proposed model for data envelopment analysis, is also used for the analysis. The obtained result is a classification of types of manufacturing industries from the perspective of their capabilities in both e-CI implementation and information disclosure to systematically discover emphatic indicators of these two activities in each manufacturing industry type. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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3280 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Dynamic Enterprise Network Composition Algorithm for Efficient Operation in Cloud Manufacturing

by Gilseung Ahn, You-Jin Park and Sun Hur

Sustainability 2016, 8(12), 1239; https://doi.org/10.3390/su8121239 - 29 Nov 2016

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 5001

As a service oriented and networked model, cloud manufacturing (CM) has been proposed recently for solving a variety of manufacturing problems, including diverse requirements from customers. In CM, on-demand manufacturing services are provided by a temporary production network composed of several enterprises participating [...] Read more.

As a service oriented and networked model, cloud manufacturing (CM) has been proposed recently for solving a variety of manufacturing problems, including diverse requirements from customers. In CM, on-demand manufacturing services are provided by a temporary production network composed of several enterprises participating within an enterprise network. In other words, the production network is the main agent of production and a subset of an enterprise network. Therefore, it is essential to compose the enterprise network in a way that can respond to demands properly. A properly-composed enterprise network means the network can handle demands that arrive at the CM, with minimal costs, such as network composition and operation costs, such as participation contract costs, system maintenance costs, and so forth. Due to trade-offs among costs (e.g., contract cost and opportunity cost of production), it is a non-trivial problem to find the optimal network enterprise composition. In addition, this includes probabilistic constraints, such as forecasted demand. In this paper, we propose an algorithm, named the dynamic enterprise network composition algorithm (DENCA), based on a genetic algorithm to solve the enterprise network composition problem. A numerical simulation result is provided to demonstrate the performance of the proposed algorithm. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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1281 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainability Assessment in Automotive and Electronics Supply Chains—A Set of Indicators Defined in a Multi-Stakeholder Approach

by Josef-Peter Schöggl, Morgane M. C. Fritz and Rupert J. Baumgartner

Sustainability 2016, 8(11), 1185; https://doi.org/10.3390/su8111185 - 17 Nov 2016

Cited by 32 | Viewed by 8823

In automotive and electronics supply chains, sustainability assessment is gaining increasing importance. More stringent regulations and growing customer pressure are driving the change towards more environmentally, socially and economically responsible supply chains. Since this implies a rising use of resources for data collection, [...] Read more.

In automotive and electronics supply chains, sustainability assessment is gaining increasing importance. More stringent regulations and growing customer pressure are driving the change towards more environmentally, socially and economically responsible supply chains. Since this implies a rising use of resources for data collection, monitoring, exchange and assessment, the objective of this paper is to facilitate supply chain sustainability assessment. The present paper first provides a tailored set of 69 supply chain sustainability indicators for the European automotive and electronics industries. These were derived on the basis of a systematic literature review, together with 13 semi-structured interviews and five focus group workshops, all of which involved sustainability and industry experts. Second, the paper provides a case example of software-based supply chain sustainability data exchange. The extent to which sustainability information is currently exchanged in the two industries is also analyzed. The set of indicators is scientifically relevant since it considers all three dimensions of sustainability and is intended to allow for supply chain-wide sustainability assessment in two specific industries. It is also of high practical relevance since it was developed with and validated by industry experts, and also since it considers industrial and technical requirements for supply chain sustainability assessment in order to increase the efficiency of the work processes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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5672 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sustainable and Resilient Garment Supply Chain Network Design with Fuzzy Multi-Objectives under Uncertainty

by Sonia Irshad Mari, Young Hae Lee and Muhammad Saad Memon

Sustainability 2016, 8(10), 1038; https://doi.org/10.3390/su8101038 - 16 Oct 2016

Cited by 36 | Viewed by 8420

Researchers and practitioners are taking more interest in developing sustainable garment supply chains in recent times. On the other hand, the supply chain manager drops sustainability objectives while coping with unexpected natural and man-made disruption risks. Hence, supply chain managers are now trying [...] Read more.

Researchers and practitioners are taking more interest in developing sustainable garment supply chains in recent times. On the other hand, the supply chain manager drops sustainability objectives while coping with unexpected natural and man-made disruption risks. Hence, supply chain managers are now trying to develop sustainable supply chains that are simultaneously resilient enough to cope with disruption risks. Owing to the importance of the considered issue, this study proposed a network optimization model for a sustainable and resilient supply chain network by considering sustainability via embodied carbon footprints and carbon emissions and resilience by considering resilience index. In this paper, initially, a possibilistic fuzzy multi-objective sustainable and resilient supply chain network model is developed for the garment industry considering economic, sustainable, and resilience objectives. Secondly, a possibilistic fuzzy linguistic weight-based interactive solution method is proposed. Finally, a numerical case example is presented to show the applicability of the proposed model and solution methodology. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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2404 KiB

Open AccessArticle

New Algorithm for Evaluating the Green Supply Chain Performance in an Uncertain Environment

by Pan Liu and Shuping Yi

Sustainability 2016, 8(10), 960; https://doi.org/10.3390/su8100960 - 26 Sep 2016

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 5426

An effective green supply chain (GSC) can help an enterprise obtain more benefits and reduce costs. Therefore, developing an effective evaluation method for GSC performance evaluation is becoming increasingly important. In this study, the advantages and disadvantages of the current performance evaluations and [...] Read more.

An effective green supply chain (GSC) can help an enterprise obtain more benefits and reduce costs. Therefore, developing an effective evaluation method for GSC performance evaluation is becoming increasingly important. In this study, the advantages and disadvantages of the current performance evaluations and algorithms for GSC performance evaluations were discussed and evaluated. Based on these findings, an improved five-dimensional balanced scorecard was proposed in which the green performance indicators were revised to facilitate their measurement. A model based on Rough Set theory, the Genetic Algorithm, and the Levenberg Marquardt Back Propagation (LMBP) neural network algorithm was proposed. Next, using Matlab, the Rosetta tool, and the practical data of company F, a case study was conducted. The results indicate that the proposed model has a high convergence speed and an accurate prediction ability. The credibility and effectiveness of the proposed model was validated. In comparison with the normal Back Propagation neural network algorithm and the LMBP neural network algorithm, the proposed model has greater credibility and effectiveness. In practice, this method provides a more suitable indicator system and algorithm for enterprises to be able to implement GSC performance evaluations in an uncertain environment. Academically, the proposed method addresses the lack of a theoretical basis for GSC performance evaluation, thus representing a new development in GSC performance evaluation theory. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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1564 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Implementing Coordinative Contracts between Manufacturer and Retailer in a Reverse Supply Chain

by Sung Wook Yoon and Suk Jae Jeong

Sustainability 2016, 8(9), 913; https://doi.org/10.3390/su8090913 - 09 Sep 2016

Cited by 10 | Viewed by 5458

There is an increasing need for company awareness of environmental problems and sustainable business practices. As a post-consumption activity, the reverse supply chain aims to extract value from products at the end of their lifecycle; it offers a means of pursuing sustainability through [...] Read more.

There is an increasing need for company awareness of environmental problems and sustainable business practices. As a post-consumption activity, the reverse supply chain aims to extract value from products at the end of their lifecycle; it offers a means of pursuing sustainability through recycling, remanufacturing, refurbishing, and reusing. This study develops a series of procedures for implementing contracts between manufacturers and retailers to maximize individual profits and total profits through the reverse supply chain. To analyze the effects of the decision strategies made by parties acting on non-coordinative (decentralized) and coordinative contracts, we model a two-echelon reverse supply chain environment using a system dynamics approach. In this study, we examine three cooperative contracts with differing shares of cost and profit between the two parties. Each contract is analyzed according to the following three contract processes. First, the manufacturer proposes a set of contracts that can be considered by the retailer. Second, the retailer evaluates the proposed contracts and chooses the one that is expected to maximize profits. Finally, the retailer and manufacturer adjust the parameters of the best contract to achieve the mutual goal of the supply chain. Using the experimental results, we discuss the best coordinative strategy between manufacturer and retailer for maximizing profits in the reverse supply chain. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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1437 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Grey Forecasting Approach for the Sustainability Performance of Logistics Companies

by Min-Chun Yu, Chia-Nan Wang and Nguyen-Nhu-Y Ho

Sustainability 2016, 8(9), 866; https://doi.org/10.3390/su8090866 - 29 Aug 2016

Cited by 23 | Viewed by 6532

Logistics plays an important role in globalized companies and contributes to the development of foreign trade. A large number of external conditions, such as recession and inflation, affect logistics. Therefore, managers should find ways to improve operational performance, enabling them to increase efficiency [...] Read more.

Logistics plays an important role in globalized companies and contributes to the development of foreign trade. A large number of external conditions, such as recession and inflation, affect logistics. Therefore, managers should find ways to improve operational performance, enabling them to increase efficiency while considering environmental sustainability due to the industry’s large scale of energy consumption. Based on data collected from the financial reports of top global logistics companies, this study uses a DEA model to calculate corporate efficiency by implementing a Grey forecasting approach to forecast future sustainability values. Consequently, the study addresses the problem of how to enhance operational performance while accounting for the impact of external conditions. This research can help logistics companies develop operation strategies in the future that will enhance their competitiveness vis-à-vis rivals in a time of global economic volatility. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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3860 KiB

Open AccessArticle

ePedigree Traceability System for the Agricultural Food Supply Chain to Ensure Consumer Health

by Umar Farooq, Wu Tao, Ganjar Alfian, Yong-Shin Kang and Jongtae Rhee

Sustainability 2016, 8(9), 839; https://doi.org/10.3390/su8090839 - 24 Aug 2016

Cited by 33 | Viewed by 9112

Sustainability relies on the environmental, social and economical systems: the three pillars of sustainability. The social sustainability mostly advocates the people’s welfare, health, safety, and quality of life. In the agricultural food industry, the aspects of social sustainability, such as consumer health and [...] Read more.

Sustainability relies on the environmental, social and economical systems: the three pillars of sustainability. The social sustainability mostly advocates the people’s welfare, health, safety, and quality of life. In the agricultural food industry, the aspects of social sustainability, such as consumer health and safety have gained substantial attention due to the frequent cases of food-borne diseases. The food-borne diseases due to the food degradation, chemical contamination and adulteration of food products pose a serious threat to the consumer’s health, safety, and quality of life. To ensure the consumer’s health and safety, it is essential to develop an efficient system which can address these critical social issues in the food distribution networks. This research proposes an ePedigree (electronic pedigree) traceability system based on the integration of RFID and sensor technology for real-time monitoring of the agricultural food to prevent the distribution of hazardous and adulterated food products. The different aspects regarding implementation of the proposed system in food chains are analyzed and a feasible integrated solution is proposed. The performance of the proposed system is evaluated and finally, a comprehensive analysis of the proposed ePedigree system’s impact on the social sustainability in terms of consumer health and safety is presented. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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Open AccessArticle

Location-Routing Problem with Simultaneous Home Delivery and Customer’s Pickup for City Distribution of Online Shopping Purchases

by Lin Zhou, Xu Wang, Lin Ni and Yun Lin

Sustainability 2016, 8(8), 828; https://doi.org/10.3390/su8080828 - 22 Aug 2016

Cited by 58 | Viewed by 10565

With the increasing interest in online shopping, the Last Mile delivery is regarded as one of the most expensive and pollutive—and yet the least efficient—stages of the e-commerce supply chain. To address this challenge, a novel location-routing problem with simultaneous home delivery and [...] Read more.

With the increasing interest in online shopping, the Last Mile delivery is regarded as one of the most expensive and pollutive—and yet the least efficient—stages of the e-commerce supply chain. To address this challenge, a novel location-routing problem with simultaneous home delivery and customer’s pickup is proposed. This problem aims to build a more effective Last Mile distribution system by providing two kinds of service options when delivering packages to customers. To solve this specific problem, a hybrid evolution search algorithm by combining genetic algorithm (GA) and local search (LS) is presented. In this approach, a diverse population generation algorithm along with a two-phase solution initialization heuristic is first proposed to give high quality initial population. Then, advantaged solution representation, individual evaluation, crossover and mutation operations are designed to enhance the evolution and search efficiency. Computational experiments based on a large family of instances are conducted, and the results obtained indicate the validity of the proposed model and method. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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Open AccessArticle

Regional Port Productivity in APEC

by Yen-Chun Jim Wu, Chih-Hung Yuan, M. Goh and Yung-Hsiang Lu

Sustainability 2016, 8(7), 689; https://doi.org/10.3390/su8070689 - 19 Jul 2016

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 4840

The regional growth of the goods and services trade has placed greater pressure on the ports of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) members, especially in the developing countries. The purpose of this study is to apply the generalized metafrontier Malmquist productivity index (gMMPI) [...] Read more.

The regional growth of the goods and services trade has placed greater pressure on the ports of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) members, especially in the developing countries. The purpose of this study is to apply the generalized metafrontier Malmquist productivity index (gMMPI) to compare the port productivity of developed countries (DCs) and developing countries (LDCs) in APEC. The results indicate that, first, the average rate of utilized capacity among the ports of APEC members was only 65.7% during 2002–2011, which means that another 34.3% of additional through put can be handled with the same level of resources. Second, the average productivity of the container ports in the DCs appeared to be higher than those located in the LDCs. The main sources of productive growth in the DCs were based on scale efficiency change (SEC), technical efficiency change (TEC), and potential technological relative change (PTRC), while the main source of productive growth in LDCs was based on SEC. Third, SEC appeared to be the dominant factor that affects the utilization of all ports. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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Driving Sustainable Competitive Advantage in the Mobile Industry: Evidence from U.S. Wireless Carriers

by Changhee Kim, Soo Wook Kim and Hee Jay Kang

Sustainability 2016, 8(7), 659; https://doi.org/10.3390/su8070659 - 12 Jul 2016

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 6233

In light of the growing importance of data network quality in the wireless industry, this study analyzes and compares efficiencies in management, service quality, network quality, and market in the 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless industry. For this purpose, a bootstrap data [...] Read more.

In light of the growing importance of data network quality in the wireless industry, this study analyzes and compares efficiencies in management, service quality, network quality, and market in the 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE) wireless industry. For this purpose, a bootstrap data envelopment analysis (DEA) model using representative U.S. wireless carriers as decision making units (DMUs) was designed and conducted, with further verification through the Mann-Whitney U and Wilcoxon W test, to examine the differences in efficiency distribution. The results indicate that, in terms of efficiency distribution, network quality efficiency and market efficiency belongs to the same group as that which has high management efficiency. Based on these results, this paper suggests implications and strategic guidelines for wireless carriers for improvement in management efficiency. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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Sustainable Supply Chain Management: The Influence of Disposal Scenarios on the Environmental Impact of a 2400 L Waste Container

by José Eduardo Galve, Daniel Elduque, Carmelo Pina and Carlos Javierre

Sustainability 2016, 8(6), 564; https://doi.org/10.3390/su8060564 - 17 Jun 2016

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 6379

This paper analyzes the influence of the supply chain management on the environmental impact of a 2400 L waste disposal container used in most cities of Spain. The studied functional unit, a waste disposal container, made up mostly of plastic materials and a [...] Read more.

This paper analyzes the influence of the supply chain management on the environmental impact of a 2400 L waste disposal container used in most cities of Spain. The studied functional unit, a waste disposal container, made up mostly of plastic materials and a metallic structure, and manufactured in Madrid (Spain), is distributed to several cities at an average distance of 392 km. A life cycle assessment of four different scenarios (SC) has been calculated with the software EcoTool v4.0 (version 4.0; i+: Zaragoza, Spain, 2015) and using Ecoinvent v3.0 database (version 3.0; Swiss Centre for Life Cycle Inventories: St. Gallen, Switzerland, 2013). The environmental impact has been characterized with two different methodologies, recipe and carbon footprint. In order to reduce the environmental impact, several end of life scenarios have been performed, analyzing the influence of the supply chain on a closed-looped system that increases recycling. Closed loop management of the waste and reuse of parts allows companies to stop selling products and start selling the service that their products give to the consumers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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Optimal Financing Decisions of Two Cash-Constrained Supply Chains with Complementary Products

by Yuting Li, Tong Chen and Baogui Xin

Sustainability 2016, 8(5), 429; https://doi.org/10.3390/su8050429 - 30 Apr 2016

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 4983

In recent years; financing difficulties have been obsessed small and medium enterprises (SMEs); especially emerging SMEs. Inter-members’ joint financing within a supply chain is one of solutions for SMEs. How about members’ joint financing of inter-supply chains? In order to answer the question, [...] Read more.

In recent years; financing difficulties have been obsessed small and medium enterprises (SMEs); especially emerging SMEs. Inter-members’ joint financing within a supply chain is one of solutions for SMEs. How about members’ joint financing of inter-supply chains? In order to answer the question, we firstly employ the Stackelberg game to propose three kinds of financing decision models of two cash-constrained supply chains with complementary products. Secondly, we analyze qualitatively these models and find the joint financing decision of the two supply chains is the most optimal one. Lastly, we conduct some numerical simulations not only to illustrate above results but also to find that the larger are cross-price sensitivity coefficients; the higher is the motivation for participants to make joint financing decisions; and the more are profits for them to gain. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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Supply Chain Coordination and Consumer Awareness for Pollution Reduction

by Bowon Kim and Jeong Eun Sim

Sustainability 2016, 8(4), 365; https://doi.org/10.3390/su8040365 - 15 Apr 2016

Cited by 15 | Viewed by 6048

To understand the dynamics of the manufacturer’s effort to reduce pollution in a supply chain consisting of manufacturer, retailer, and consumers, we analyze four cases according to consumer awareness of the pollution’s harmful effect, i.e., environmentally aware versus ignorant, and supply chain [...] Read more.

To understand the dynamics of the manufacturer’s effort to reduce pollution in a supply chain consisting of manufacturer, retailer, and consumers, we analyze four cases according to consumer awareness of the pollution’s harmful effect, i.e., environmentally aware versus ignorant, and supply chain coordination, i.e., competitive versus cooperative. Applying differential games, we derive managerial implications: the most significant is that the supply chain coordination strategy becomes irrelevant to reducing the pollution, if the consumers are not environmentally aware or sensitive enough. It highlights the critical role played by the consumer awareness in curbing the pollution in the supply chain. In addition, we find the transfer price and the potential market size are important factors to determine each case’s relative effectiveness. Under a regular condition, where the transfer price from the retailer to the manufacturer is sufficiently high, the consumer-aware and competitive case can generate a better outcome in reducing the pollution than those with ignorant consumers. However, the opposite might occur if the transfer price is excessively low, giving the manufacturer little motivation to make an effort to reduce the pollution. For the cooperative supply chain, it is the potential market size that determines whether the consumer-aware case is better than the consumer-ignorant. In fact, it turns out that there is a stronger result, i.e., the feasibility condition enforces that the market is always big enough to make the consumer-aware cooperative case better than the consumer-ignorant cases. We further discuss managerial as well as policy implications of these analysis outcomes. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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Weighing Efficiency-Robustness in Supply Chain Disruption by Multi-Objective Firefly Algorithm

by Tong Shu, Xiaoqin Gao, Shou Chen, Shouyang Wang, Kin Keung Lai and Lu Gan

Sustainability 2016, 8(3), 250; https://doi.org/10.3390/su8030250 - 09 Mar 2016

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 5914

This paper investigates various supply chain disruptions in terms of scenario planning, including node disruption and chain disruption; namely, disruptions in distribution centers and disruptions between manufacturing centers and distribution centers. Meanwhile, it also focuses on the simultaneous disruption on one node or [...] Read more.

This paper investigates various supply chain disruptions in terms of scenario planning, including node disruption and chain disruption; namely, disruptions in distribution centers and disruptions between manufacturing centers and distribution centers. Meanwhile, it also focuses on the simultaneous disruption on one node or a number of nodes, simultaneous disruption in one chain or a number of chains and the corresponding mathematical models and exemplification in relation to numerous manufacturing centers and diverse products. Robustness of the design of the supply chain network is examined by weighing efficiency against robustness during supply chain disruptions. Efficiency is represented by operating cost; robustness is indicated by the expected disruption cost and the weighing issue is calculated by the multi-objective firefly algorithm for consistency in the results. It has been shown that the total cost achieved by the optimal target function is lower than that at the most effective time of supply chains. In other words, the decrease of expected disruption cost by improving robustness in supply chains is greater than the increase of operating cost by reducing efficiency, thus leading to cost advantage. Consequently, by approximating the Pareto Front Chart of weighing between efficiency and robustness, enterprises can choose appropriate efficiency and robustness for their longer-term development. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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A Sustainable Outsourcing Strategy Regarding Cost, Capacity Flexibility, and Risk in a Textile Supply Chain

by Shaheen Sardar, Young Hae Lee and Muhammad Saad Memon

Sustainability 2016, 8(3), 234; https://doi.org/10.3390/su8030234 - 03 Mar 2016

Cited by 30 | Viewed by 10688

The textile industry achieves economic benefits through outsourcing to low cost markets. Today, reshoring is an emerging trend due to rising cost and unemployment concerns. This problem is primarily due to an industry-wide focus on economic benefits only. Cost saving is a basic [...] Read more.

The textile industry achieves economic benefits through outsourcing to low cost markets. Today, reshoring is an emerging trend due to rising cost and unemployment concerns. This problem is primarily due to an industry-wide focus on economic benefits only. Cost saving is a basic reason for international outsourcing while domestic outsourcing provides capacity flexibility. Moreover, outsourcing risk has a major impact on strategic location of the production destinations. Therefore, the merging of capacity flexibility and outsourcing risk comprises a sustainable outsourcing strategy. This paper suggests a sustainable outsourcing strategy in which a textile manufacturer outsources to international markets for cost savings and outsources to the domestic market for capacity flexibility. The manufacturer reserves some capacity with domestic suppliers, and pays a unit penalty cost if this capacity flexibility is not utilized. The manufacturer seeks minimum risk in international markets. Operational cost, penalty cost, and outsourcing risk are considered to be objective functions. Decisions include the assignment of contracts to suitable facilities, the quantity of each contract, and allocation of reserved capacity flexibility among domestic suppliers. Multi-objective problem of this research was solved using three variants of goal programming. Several insights are proposed for outsourcing decision making in the current global environment. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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Review

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The New Generation of Operations Research Methods in Supply Chain Optimization: A Review

by Pourya Pourhejazy and Oh Kyoung Kwon

Sustainability 2016, 8(10), 1033; https://doi.org/10.3390/su8101033 - 17 Oct 2016

Cited by 54 | Viewed by 11249

The possibilities of applying Operations Research (O.R.) techniques in the design of real-world systems are vast. The optimization and design of the supply chain network (SCN) is one of the relevant topics that has directed the attention of many scholars. Sound decisions in [...] Read more.

The possibilities of applying Operations Research (O.R.) techniques in the design of real-world systems are vast. The optimization and design of the supply chain network (SCN) is one of the relevant topics that has directed the attention of many scholars. Sound decisions in this regard, including the proper selection of the facility’s location, transportation modes and routes and inventory management policies, can noticeably improve the systems performance. Over 380 articles published between 2005 and 2016 in the ISI/Web of Science database have applied advanced O.R. techniques in SCN optimization studies. This paper offers a systematic review of these published contributions by focusing on two categories of O.R. approaches most recently applied for the design of SC systems: integrated mathematical modeling and simulation-optimization (S-O) frameworks. A taxonomy analysis of the mentioned approaches is presented based on the supply chain elements. A bibliometric analysis is also conducted to provide technical insights into the possible gaps in the field. Moreover, the relevant studies on SC sustainability are highlighted. The research results are supportive of the S-O frameworks as either an alternative approach or an effective solution method for the integrated problems. The research outcomes can provide researchers in the field with useful details of the integrated problems and S-O frameworks as the most recent O.R. methodologies in the field of SC optimization. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Sustainability in Supply Chain Management)

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